• On The Tummy Spot: Dome Cafés Churros

    August 28, 2011 / 0 Comments
    One early morning with A and Z in tow, we trooped together to Shangri-La on some fun business. Since the mall wasn’t open for operations yet, we decided to hang out in one of the open cafe’s situated inside Shangri-La. I had seen Dome Café before but haven’t really tried or explored it. I’d rather just go on a Starbucks fix so this was really one of those “first” moments.
    I didn’t really fancy coffee so A and I decided on having a nice hot pot of mint tea. They brought us little “DOME” cups and a big pot of hot minty tea. On the side of the cups, they had these little nice biscuits which I guessed were accompaniments to the tea. The tea was refreshing and soothing at the same time. Just right to make us calm down after that long bus ride from home. 

    I also scanned their menu for any item/dish that I would fancy together with the tea and I saw that they had Churros. I quickly ordered these and the waitress told me that I would have to wait for a few minutes because they make the Churros ala carte to ensure the freshness of the pastry.

    After like 20 minutes of waiting, I followed up on my order and after 5 minutes or so, they came out with the most golden and lovely looking churros which made me cringe in anticipation. Immediately the smell of the cinnamon sugar wafted to my nostrils and I could feel my mouth beginning to water. I saw that beside the churros, there was a bowlful of thick and rich, yummy looking chocolate dip. When I first took a bite of the churros, I was mesmerized with the crispiness of the outside crust and the lightness and fluffy softness of the inside. The churros were warm and this even made the eating experience more pleasurable. I then dipped the churros into the luscious dark chocolate and it was heaven! The chocolate was kind of bittersweet and it didn’t taste like any local chocolate I had tried. It was not too sweet and it was just the right pairing with the churros. I quickly gobbled it up and got myself another churro stick. The mint tea was the perfect foil to the richness of the churros and chocolate and it was a really nice morning tea break for us.

    I will definitely go back to Dome for their Churros!

    XoXo
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  • My Binondo Foodie Adventures Part VII: A Look Inside President’s Tea House Along Ongpin Street

    August 23, 2011 / 0 Comments
    When I go traipsing along Ongpin Street, there is one mystery that always appeals to me and it is wondering what is going on inside the big President’s restaurant along Ongpin Street. I have heard from so many people about the good reviews of this place but just that their price ranges are quite high. In Binondo, I have so far seen 2 President’s restaurant: 1 along Ongpin street and the other along Salazar street (this is a smaller restaurant reminiscent of other smaller restos in the Binondo area).

    From the outside, you’d probably wonder how big the place was since knowing Binondo everything is like squeezed together and you see that out at the front of the restaurant you have this entryway staffed with waitresses in traditional red Chinese garb. Me and a few old friends walked inside and lo and behold I was shocked to say the least. The place was sprawling (and when I say sprawling, it really is big) inside with quite a number of round tables and a huge crystal chandelier to boot. The restaurant was huge. It was very well lighted too. It had all the hallmarks of a first class Chinese restaurant. We made our way through to the very end and had a Bisaya waiter attend to us. We checked out the menu and ordered. I couldn’t wait to try their food out.

    Friend Kuya A and I both agreed on a first order of a plateful of century eggs. I sound crazed right! Century eggs are an acquired taste really but I just don’t get it why a lot of people are not fans of this food item. It really is delicious. That black and clear gelatinous (white portion) of the egg with that grayish and soft (yellow part) part which melts in your mouth. I can’t quite describe how it tastes but to me it tastes really good. 

    Next, we had some Bird’s Nest Soup, the really authentic one. I missed this soup. The eggy and thick flavorful broth with the sort of gummy pieces in it was a joy to taste once again. It’s been too long since I had authentic Bird’s Nest.

    After that there was a plateful of cold Chinese appetizers ranging from the steamed orange innards to the pale white chicken and seaweeds as well as century egg slices. Very interesting mix. I tried them all and found them okay. I didn’t feel like rice but we ordered for the others and I got a taste of it and boy was it so yummy. 


    Yang Chow fried rice with all the trimmings. Medium sized shrimps cooked to perfection. Heavenly rice with a heavenly aroma as well.

    Friend R had to have his fried noodle fix and it was really delicious. Crispy canton noodles with a pork topping slathered with a rich and very delicious Chinesy sauce. This was one item I kept coming back to. It was a good thing I ate just a small portion of rice because I was on the noodle dish fixation episode. 

    We also ordered fried pork with garlic and other herbs. It tasted like pan friend pork pieces seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with cilantro leaves. It was okay but not really great. Just the usual way of cooking pork. 

    Then we had calamari with sweet and sour sauce. The calamari was cooked to perfection and the squid not gummy without a thick coat of breading. There was only a thin layer which made the squid crisp but I got to really taste the squid and the sweet and sour sauce was the perfect complement to it. 

    We also had some really spicy stir fried beef in a thick sauce. The beef was so tender and sliced thin so it didn’t make you feel as if you’d eaten a ton. The sauce was perfect for it and I truly enjoyed this dish.

    Almost all of the things I had eaten at President’s Restaurant was a delight. I enjoyed myself thoroughly as well as enjoying the time spent with friends who loved food like I did.
     
    For those wanting a really great Chinese food experience, you can try out the big President’s Tea House restaurant located along Ongpin street.
     
    P.S. I forgot to bring my camera with me so you’ll have to contend with my shots from my camera phone.
     
    XoXo
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  • Having A Happy Drink At Happy Lemon

    August 7, 2011 / 0 Comments
    The same day that I and a few friends went to the Saturday Salcedo Market and Mercato Centrale, we also stopped by Greenhills in San Juan to do a little bit of shopping and afterwards we wanted to rest our tired feet a bit and refresh ourselves with a drink. My friend AM told me that Happy Lemon serves really rockin’ drinks so we headed to the Promenade in Greenhills and went inside the Happy Lemon Store.

    The inside was very welcoming and quite cozy with chairs suited to accommodate groups and there was quite a long line at the counter so I guess that was a testament to how good the drinks were. I saw that there was a drink there that had Yakult and I was happy. I love Yakult! I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid and my grandfather would buy it for me every afternoon in CdeO. I revisit happy childhood memories with Yakult. On initial inspection I assumed that the drinks were quite rich and frankly I felt that my tummy could not hold it all. But I really wanted to try it so much so I ordered what friend AM suggested to me was good – green tea with rock salt and cheese and I figured it would be a pretty refreshing drink, it being green tea and all.

    When I got it, I noticed that there was this thick foam on top and some green powder which I think is green tea powder. Friend AM suggested I try the thick foam and boy was I surprised with the mixture of flavors in that foam. I could taste the rock salt, the cheesy cheese and the lightness of the foam which they sat on. The salt was the perfect foil to it all. It consolidated all the flavors well. I expected the drink to be quite rich and lo and behold, it wasn’t. In fact it was a great, light and refreshing green tea with the thick and foamy savory/sweet top. Really good! I enjoyed my first happy lemon experience and I am a satisfied happy lemon customer looking forward to more happy experiences.

    Now, I can’t wait to try the other ones in the store!

     
    P.S. Have you tried to have your Happy Lemon experience already?
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  • Saturday Visit To Mercato Centrale

    August 5, 2011 / 0 Comments
    Since I was already too full from the morning exploit in Saturday Salcedo Market, I could not anymore eat a bite when we next went to take a look at Mercato Centrale.  They did have a variety of food offered and I just went straight to have a sample of Merry Moo Ice Cream in Earl Grey flavor.  I just couldn’t help it. 🙂
    My pictures will have to tell the story for this time around since I was not really tasting or eating anything already at this point in the day. Enjoy! Next time, I will be back to explore Mercato through mouth and more importantly try the Bagnet Sandwich which I hear is really good.
     

    XoXo
    EV
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  • A Visit to the Saturday Salcedo Market

    August 3, 2011 / 0 Comments
    When I first heard of the Saturday Salcedo Market, I think it was way back a few years ago when it first made its debut into the food list of people in the Metro. It instantly became a hit because aside from the variety of food being offered; sometimes you can actually get the actual owners of these food brands behind the makeshift counters and trying to make small talk with you about their products/food items. This is one of the things that I particularly like because it somehow makes you a bit close to the food that you are eating and knowing a little bit of history and knowledge regarding that delicious bite of food that you are about to chomp down on. Also, their location was great. Right smack in the park greens where you can enjoy your food finds on the stone benches or right on the grass like a picnic.

    Over the years, it has evolved and more and more stall owners are joining and now you can have fresh seafood items being sold there as well. Those gigantic and for sure really delicious tiger prawns and others. 

    The food choices now include the more exotic fare to the international ones ranging from the fried frog legs of Pampanga to the more international crepes from a French guy and those delightful German sausages which can more than fill your empty stomach. Truth be told, venturing on your own into the market might be interesting but being with friends make it even more so because with friends you can share food finds and thereby taste and experience more gastronomic delights and of course, food is always better when shared with friends! 😉 Also one important note, the serving portions in the Saturday market are most of the time good for sharing so please bring a friend or two.
    One such Saturday in June, me and a few food loving friends went to the Salcedo market in the morning to experience and sample the delights they had to offer. Here in this post are various food stuffs we have tried and seen.
     
    Passing by the right side of the market, I saw incredibly mouth watering pastries and I even saw a delicious looking pecan pie but alas I was not able to try this out as I was already so full from the savory dishes that I did not have room for dessert already. 

    Right next to the pecan pie were these absolutely delightful French macaroons!

    On to the other stalls, I saw mounds and mounds of paella, with different variations. From the regular paella valenciana to the more interesting paella negra which was sinfully and blackishly delish. 

    There were also little yummy Japanese pancakes which can have fillings ranging from choco chips, cream cheese, bacon and other goodies.

    I even got a glimpse of freshly made takoyaki balls which I wanted to try and compare to the ones that I had tasted in Little Tokyo but again, I wasn’t able to try them out. For sure next time, I will pop one in my mouth. 

    We also had some tequila-infused pasta and some finger-lickin good grilled ribs which were really meaty and so wonderfully savory.

    As always, it was a good, tummy filling experience I will not so soon forget since after the Salcedo Market, we also did a trip to Mercato Centrale…Now that’s for the next post already.
     
    Do take some time to explore the gustatory delights of the Saturday Salcedo Market and have a leisurely lunch at the park. While you’re at it, you can also add some of your favorite greens to your herb garden as well because I saw a vendor selling potted herbs and some other wonderful spices and flavorings for the cook in you.
     
    As I said, enjoying the Saturday Salcedo Market is always better with good food-loving friends around!
     
     
    Enjoy!
     
    XoXo
     
     
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